There are many operations in the handling of flexible, drapable sheets of material (such as cloth, and garments made from cloth) wherein it is desirable to fold and stack the sheets. This is particularly so in garment handling operations where a piece of cloth to be formed into a garment is acted upon (e.g. hemmed) by an automatic sewing machine at one station, and then is to be further acted upon at another station. Oftentimes the folding and stacking operations are performed manually, which is a relatively slow and tedious process.
According to the present invention, a method and apparatus are provided for automatically folding and stacking flexible drapable sheets of sheet material, particularly pieces of cloth that are used in garment manufacture. The apparatus and method are preferably used in conjunction with an automatic sewing machine which effects hemming, or otherwise acts upon, the cloth sheets.
According to one aspect of the present invention apparatus for automatic folding and stacking flexible and drapable sheets of sheet material is provided, comprising the following elements: A first, generally horizontally extending, conveyor means for conveying flexible and drapable sheets. A second, generally vertically extending conveyor means for conveying flexible and drapable sheets, having a first, intake end, disposed just above a portion of the first conveyor means, and a second, discharge end, disposed vertically above the intake end. Lifting means for lifting a flexible and drapable sheet conveyed by the first conveyor means so that it operatively engages the first end of the second conveyor means; and stacking means operatively disposed at the second end of the second conveyor means for stacking flexible and drapable sheets discharged from the second conveyor means discharge end.
The stacking means preferably comprises a stacking platform disposed above the first conveyor, and means for transferring the flexible drapable sheets from the second conveyor to the stacking platform. The transferring means preferably comprises means defining a flexible and drapable sheet receiving surface (such as a plurality of bent wire sections) having a free end and a pivoted end, means for pivotally mounting the surface at the pivoted end for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, and means for pivoting the surface about the axis from a first position in which the free end is adjacent the discharge end of the second conveyor, to a second position in which the surface overlies the stacking platform. The first and second conveyors preferably are horizontally spaced conveyor tapes, and the bent wire sections may be interleaved with the second conveyor tapes in the first position thereof. The lifting means comprises a generally vertically extending element and means for moving that element from a position operatively beneath the first conveyor to a position so that it operatively extends above the first conveyor for engaging the flexible drapable sheet transported thereby and stuffs it into the second conveyor intake end.
According to another aspect of the present invention, apparatus for stacking flexible and drapable sheets is provided. The apparatus comprises: A generally vertically extending conveyor means for conveying flexible and drapable sheets, having a first, intake end, and a second, discharge end, disposed vertically above the intake end; and stacking means operatively disposed at the second end of the second conveyor means for stacking flexible and drapable sheets discharged from the conveyor discharge end, the stacking means comprising: a stacking platform, and means for transferring flexible drapable sheets from the conveyor means to the stacking platform.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of folding and stacking drapable cloth sheets. The method comprises the steps of substantially sequentially and automatically: (a) Conveying the drapable cloth sheet with the first conveyor in a generally horizontal direction. (b) While practicing step (a), moving a central portion of each sheet into operative association with the second conveyor, so that the sheet is essentially folded over while engaged and conveyed by the second conveyor. (c) Conveying the sheet vertically upwardly and discharging it at a vertical position higher than the first conveyor; and, (d) stacking the discharged structures at a vertical position above the first conveyor. Step (d) is preferably practiced by automatically discharging each sheet onto a pivotal surface, and automatically effecting pivotal movement of the surface about a horizontal axis so that the sheet carried thereby will be flipped over about a horizontal axis and fall on top of the platform, or other sheets on top of the platform. During the practice of step (a) the cloth sheets are acted upon by an automatic sewing machine (e.g. hemmed).
It is a primary objective of the present invention to provide for the simple yet effective automatic folding and stacking of flexible and drapable sheets, such as cloth sheets in garment manufacture. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.